Compost turning apparatus

Abstract

A compost turning apparatus may include a towable mobile base being elongated in a longitudinal direction and having a lateral direction. The mobile base may comprise a frame, a tongue mounted on the frame, one or more transport wheels mountable in a transport setup and an operational setup, one or more support wheels mounted on the frame, and a drive wheel mounted on the frame. The apparatus may also include a rotor mounted on the mobile base to rotate about an axis oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the mobile base. The rotor may have a plurality of paddles arranged in circumferential rows, with various paddle positions and paddle orientations.

We claim: 
     
       1. A compost turning apparatus for turning composting materials in a windrow, the apparatus comprising:
 a towable mobile base being elongated in a longitudinal direction and having a lateral direction oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the mobile base having a transport configuration and an operational configuration, the mobile base being configured to move in the longitudinal direction of the mobile base in the transport configuration and in the lateral direction of the mobile base in the operational configuration, the mobile base comprising:
 a frame defining a windrow tunnel through which a windrow of composting materials is passed, 
 a tongue mounted on and extending forwardly from the frame; 
 a pair of transport wheels mountable in a transport setup corresponding to the transport configuration of the mobile base and an operational setup corresponding to the operational configuration of the mobile base, the transport setup of the transport wheels being characterized by the transport wheels being mounted on the frame and being rotatable about axes oriented substantially parallel to the lateral direction of the mobile base, the operational setup being characterized by the transport wheels being mounted on the tongue; 
 a pair of support wheels mounted on the frame to rotate about an axis oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the mobile base; 
 a drive wheel mounted on the frame to rotate about an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the mobile base; and 
 
 a rotor mounted on the mobile base to rotate about an axis oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the mobile base. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the transport and support wheels are mounted to freely rotate; and additionally comprising:
 a drive wheel rotating assembly configured to rotate the drive wheel with respect to the frame. 
 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1  additionally comprising a drive wheel adjustment assembly on the frame configured to adjust a vertical position of the drive wheel with respect to the frame. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1  additionally comprising a support wheel adjustment assembly on the frame configured to adjust a vertical position of at least one of the support wheels with respect to the frame. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the tongue has a forward end and a rearward end with a tongue axis extending between the forward and rearward ends, the tongue being mounted on the frame in a manner permitting movement of the tongue between a transport orientation and an operational orientation, the transport orientation of the tongue being characterized by the tongue axis being oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the mobile base, the operational orientation of the tongue being characterized by the tongue axis being oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the mobile base. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the transport wheels are positioned on opposite lateral sides of the tongue in the operational orientation. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the transport wheels are positioned on opposite lateral sides of the frame in the transport setup. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the support wheels are positioned on opposite longitudinal ends of the frame. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the tongue is mounted on one longitudinal end of the frame and the drive wheel is mounted on an opposite longitudinal end of the frame. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1  additionally including a transport spindle socket on the frame for removably mounting a said transport wheel thereon in the transport setup; and
 an operation spindle socket on the tongue for removably mounting a said transport wheel thereon in the operational setup. 
 
     
     
       11. A compost turning apparatus for turning composting materials in a windrow, the apparatus comprising:
 a towable mobile base being elongated in a longitudinal direction and having a lateral direction oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the mobile base including a frame defining a windrow tunnel through which a windrow of composting materials is passed, and a tongue mounted on and extending forwardly from the frame; and 
 a rotor mounted on the mobile base to rotate about a central longitudinal axis oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the mobile base, the rotor comprising:
 a drum having an outer surface elongated in the longitudinal direction of the mobile base, the outer surface of the drum having a pair of opposite ends and a midpoint between the opposite ends; 
 a support shaft supporting the drum on the frame; and 
 a plurality of paddles mounted on and extending outwardly from the drum, each paddle having a front surface for contacting composting materials in the windrow, the plurality of paddles having paddle positions on the outer surface of the drum, the paddle positions are arranged in a series of circumferential rows with each circumferential row having multiple paddles; and 
 wherein the series of circumferential rows are spaced in the longitudinal direction of the drum, spacings between rows toward the midpoint of the outer surface being relatively farther apart than spacings between rows toward the ends of the outer surface of the drum. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the drum of the rotor includes:
 a perimeter wall forming the outer surface of the drum and having opposite ends and defining an interior; 
 a pair of end walls positioned toward the ends of the perimeter wall, the end walls each having an aperture through which the support shaft extends, 
 an end sleeve mounted on at least one end portions of the support shaft in an interference fit with the support shaft to mount the end sleeve on the support shaft without welding, the at least one end sleeve being abutted against at least one of the end walls. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the at least one end sleeve is welded to the at least one end wall. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein each circumferential row has a pair of the paddles, the positions of the pair of paddles in a circumferential row being at substantially opposite circumferential locations. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the paddle positions between adjacent circumferential rows are circumferentially offset with respect to each other by a multiple of a circumferential offset angle. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the outer surface of the drum has a pair of opposite ends and a midpoint between the opposite ends; and
 wherein the paddle positions between the midpoint of the outer surface of the drum and a second said end of the outer surface of the drum are a mirror image of the paddle positions between the midpoint of the outer surface of the drum and a first said end of the outer surface of the drum. 
 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the plurality of paddles have paddle orientations on the outer surface of the drum, the paddle orientations being characterized by an angle of pitch rotation of the front surface of the paddle about an axis parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the drum, the degree of pitch rotation being positive such that the front surface is rotated forward of the neutral plane such that the tip of the paddle is positioned forward of the neutral plane. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the paddle orientations are characterized by an angle of yaw rotation of the front surface of the paddle about a radial axis passing through the central longitudinal axis of the drum and the location on the outer surface of the drum at which the paddle is mounted on the drum, the degree of yaw rotation of the front surface of the paddle being relatively greater toward the ends of the outer surface of the drum and being relatively lesser toward the midpoint of the outer surface of the drum. 
     
     
       19. A compost turning apparatus for turning composting materials in a windrow, the apparatus comprising:
 a towable mobile base being elongated in a longitudinal direction and having a lateral direction oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the mobile base including a frame defining a windrow tunnel through which a windrow of composting materials is passed, and a tongue mounted on and extending forwardly from the frame; and 
 a rotor mounted on the mobile base to rotate about a central longitudinal axis oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the mobile base, the rotor comprising:
 a drum having an outer surface elongated in the longitudinal direction of the mobile base; 
 a support shaft supporting the drum on the frame; and 
 a plurality of paddles mounted on and extending outwardly from the drum, each paddle having a front surface for contacting composting materials in the windrow; 
 
 wherein the plurality of paddles have paddle orientations on the outer surface of the drum, the paddle orientations being characterized by an angle of pitch rotation of the front surface of the paddle about an axis parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the drum, the degree of pitch rotation being positive such that the front surface is rotated forward of the neutral plane such that the tip of the paddle is positioned forward of the neutral plane.